Insulated rail joint



Sew., 22, w25,

E. F. SGHEHMEEQHHN INSULATED BML JoNfJ Filed May IL, 1925 Patented Sept.22, 1925.

PA'rENroF-FICE.

EDWARDS r. SCHERMERHORN, or BROOKLYN, New Yoaxgnssreivon .To THE RM1.

` miur coi/manner Naw-Yoran, N. ma cearoniimioiv oir NEW YORK.-

1. zrivsULATnn RAIL Jonvr.A

y yapparatus@ Y inea May 4, 1925. seriai No. 27,942.

To all 107mm tima/y concern," l

`Be itjlrnown `that I, EDWARDS F.' Soi-IER- iunai-ionm'a citizen ,oftheiUiiited States', re siding'alt Brooklyn, in the ycounty of Kings.and State of New ,Yorlhave invented cerl tain new and usefulImprovements in ln? sulated Rail Joints, ,ofrwhi-ch the-following is aspecification.V

This invention ,re-lates to'fiinpro'vement' in insulated rail jointswhich is intended to permit of a material lightening of' the weightoffthe :joint bar.withoutldetracting from itsinherent"structuralstability and strength and maintaining adequate bearings for the boltbushings.

There has been a tendency in rail joints, particularly of the insulatedtype, to ob` tain strength and stiifness largely by mere 4bulk of metal,and it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a newdistribution of metal in a joint bar intended for use in the fabricationof an insulated rail joint whereby such bar may be materially light.-ened in weight and which at the same time will have suiiiciehtstructural strength and resiliency to resist the usual loading anddefiection forces. Also the invention provides a construction whereinthe length of the bolt holes will not be materially diminished, thusmaintaining adequate bearing for the bolt insulating bushings to resistextreme compressive forces which are exerted theoretically in a linecoinciding with the central line of the bolt holes.

Though susceptible of structural modification without departing from thepurposes of the invention, the same consists in the novel barconstruction herein described, illustrated and claimed, and a preferredand practical embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings in whichFigure l is a half view of an insulated rail joint showing the railjoint in end elevation and the rail in section.

Figure 2 is a half sectional view of an insulated rail joint embodyingthe present invention.

Figure 3 is an inside elevation of a` joint bar deformed according tothe plan of metal distribution contemplated by the present invention.

Referring to the exempliiication of the invention shown in the drawingsthe numeral l designates the rail with which is associated the joint bar2 having an outer vertical bolting face 3i4 against whichL clamps theinsulated washerunit 4L carried bythe joint bolt 5 extending through thebolt hole l 6 'intl'xe oint bar. i j

ln insulated joint structures of the type shown a bolt bearing bushing 7receives Ithe joint bolt and is fitted within Vthe bolt hole 6. ofV thejoint bar and it is quite essential top'rov'ide an adequate bearing forthis insulating bushing to enable it to better resist destruction fromextreme compressive-forces.V This 1s taken care of in the ypresentinven-' tion by providing a maximum thickness of the bar along' thelongitudinal line of the bolt holes, namely by deforming the bar, at itsinner side, in such a manner as to provide the bar with an insidelongitudinally extending bolt-bushing bearing-rib 8. This bearing-ribextends longitudinally of the bar the full length thereof and isdisposed in the longitudinal plane of the bolt hole locations, andtherefore lies in an intermediate position between the head and foot ofthe bar. The said rib 8 is of such a projection from the inside of thejoint bar as to provide an extended bearing for theI insulatingbolt-bushing 7 so as to provide the adequate bearing support for thebolt-bushing for the reasons above explained. In connection with thatfeature of construction, namely, the inwardly projecting bolt bearingrib 8 which is pierced by the bolt holes, the plan of metaldistribution, according to the present invention, provides forchanneling or grooving the inner side of the oint bar both above andbelow the rib 8 as indicated by the reference numerals 9 and l0respectively, the said channeling 9 and l0 representing substantialbodiesof metal removed from the inner side of the bar above and belowthe rib 8. The effect of such channeling 9 and 10 is to providesubnormally thinned portions for the bar web longitudinally throughoutthe bar from end to end thereof with the result of greatly lighteningthe bar but still leaving it with the requisite structural strength toproperly res-ist the loading and deflection forces t-o which the saineis subjected in track.

In an insulated joint of the type described the customary headinsulation 11 is used between the head of the bar and the head of therail, and suitable base insulation 12 is incorporated in the jointbetween the rail base flange and the foot and base flanges of the bar.

From the foregoing it is thought that the features of constructionherein claimed yas an improvement in an insulated rail joint will bereadily understood without further description.

I claim zl. An insulated rail joint including a joint bar fitting withinthe fishing spaces of the rail and deformed at its inner side to providesubnormally thin portions and also any inwardly projecting bolt-bushingbearingrib lying in the longitudinal plane of the bolt holes and piercedthereby, and insulation interposed between the joint bar and the rail.

2. An insulated rail joint including a joint bar fitting within thefishing spaces of the rail and deformed at its inner side to provide aninwardly projecting and longitudinally extending bolt-bushing bearingribdisposed in the horizontal longitudinal plane of the bolt holes andpierced thereby, said bar being also provided at its inner side with alongitudinal channel or recess forming a subnormally thinned barportion, and insulation interposed between the joint bar and the rail.

3. An insulated rail joint including a joint bar fitting within thefishing spaces of the rail and deformed at its inner side to provide aninwardlyprojecting and longitudinally extending bolt-bushing bearing-ribdisposed in the horizontal longitudinal plane of the bolt holes andpierced thereby, said bar being also provided above and below said ribwith grooves or channels forming subnormally thinned bar web portions,and insulation interposed between the joint bar and the rail. Y

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my. signature.

EDWARDS F. .SCHERMERHORN

